HP gets in the game in a big way with the Pre 3

HP has not only kept the Pre name alive, it's given its smartphone rivals a lot to think about by combining a massively powerful specification with the much-loved webOS platform inherited from Palm in the stunning new HP Pre 3.

At a high-profile launch event in San Francisco, HP ushered in a new mobile era by revealing not only the Pre 3, but also the TouchPad tablet and the tiny Veer smartphone,all three powered by webOS and with the name Palm nowhere to be seen.

Yet it'll find it hard to totally eclipse the Palm name given its strong connection to the Pre. And while the third incarnation of the device isn't quite the slap to the mobile industry's face that the original was, there's an awful lot about it that looks very tasty indeed.

Topping the bill without doubt is the dual-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor – the most powerful chip we've seen on any phone. HP certainly isn't kidding when it says the Pre 3 is a “smartphone for professionals”.

But don't go thinking boring business phone here – despite a larger QWERTY keyboard than ever seen on a Palm device. The fun starts with the 800 x 480 3.6in screen, and continues with a 5-megapixel camera with a forward-facing video conferencing cam.

With a choice of 8GB or 16GB of storage, this is one powerful device. The only downside? It'll only be out in the summer.

HP has also announced the Veer, a tiny webOS-powered smartphone barely bigger than a credit card. But while it may be small on size it certainly seems to have plenty of presence.

It's a slider device boasting a full QWERTY keyboard nestled underneath the cut-size screen, with the general design apple not having fallen too far from the traditional Palm tree.

It debuts the 800MHz Snapdragon 7230 processor, which should give it more clout than you'd expect from its dinky footprint, while 8GB of storage is similarly impressive for such a small device.

You won't have to wait as long to get your hands on the Veer, however, with early spring the date HP has pencilled in at this point.

Last but by no means least is the HP TouchPad, the company's take on the tablet genre that boasts a near identical weight and thickness to the Apple iPad.

But this is no copycat. It's 9.7in may be similar to Apple's slate, but the dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor should keep it zipping along with any rival.

Storage options are 16GB or 32GB, while the on-board webcam makes video calling a possibility.

However, as with the Pre 3 and the Veer, it's as much the appeal of webOS that gives the TouchPad its shine as the device itself – arguably more so given the work that's been put into the latest webOS 3.0 version.

We'll be getting into all the details of what it has to offer once the dust settles, but rest assured: there's very much a new name to look out for in the smartphone and tablet arena: HP are here to stay.